INDUSTRY NEWSSUMMER 2018 Atlas agents commit to helping end hunger Atlas Canada renewed its partnership with Move For Hunger, a national charity that mobilizes the relocation industry to fight hunger and reduce food waste by helping out food banks in Canada. As partners of Move For Hunger, 33 of Atlas Canada’s partner agents collect non-perishable food from their customers and deliver it to local food banks – food that would otherwise be thrown away in advance of a move. “Atlas Canada agents have already delivered more than 16,600 pounds of food to food banks and pantries in the communities they serve,” said Adam Lowy, executive director and founder of Move For Hunger. “We’re grateful that Atlas Canada recognized the urgency of the problem and has made a commitment to helping their neighbours in need.” MAC furnishes the lives of youth MAC Furnished Residences, a founding member of the For the Love of Youth (FLY) initiative, donated eight homes worth of furnishings to a group of very deserving young adults. On donation days, the young people were invited to MAC’s warehouse, where they were able to select their choice of furniture and decor. Dona- tions were then loaded onto a five-tonne truck and delivered to the participants’ new independent homes. Together with fellow members of the Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA), MAC Furnished Residences helped FLY furnish more than 100 homes. FLY helps youth transitioning out of the child welfare system into their first independent homes by providing gently-used furnishings secured through donations from corporate housing industry members. DelSuites appoints new GM, wins Excellence Award DelSuites appointed Vishal Sager as the company’s new general manager. Sager brings over 17 years of management and sales experience in the hospitality industry to his new position. He has worked at some of the country’s top hotels, including The Fairmont, Hyatt and Marriott.  On the award front, DelSuites was recently awarded Oakwood Worldwide’s 2017 Partner Service Excellence Award. The company achieved the highest level of guest satisfaction in Oakwood Worldwide’s internal and client surveys, topping those of all Oakwood suppliers. The Oakwood client survey addresses a wide range of quality experiences in corporate housing.  Weichert acquires TheMIGroup In a major industry development, Weichert Workforce Mobility Inc. acquired TheMIGroup – a move that significantly boosts its status as the largest independently-owned relocation management company in North America. The deal also fortifies Weichert’s longstanding commitment to Canada, where TheMIGroup’s Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver offices position it as a market leader. “This acquisition and merger of two industry leaders allows our combined companies and colleague bases to deliver a strong and distinct value proposition to the marketplace,” said Aram Minnetian, COO of the Weichert Companies. “We are the only supplier that will be able to provide clients and customers with an inte- grated residential real estate, global relocation and comprehensive household goods solution under the same brand.” This year marks the 40th anniversary of TheMIGroup’s involvement in relocation. Its beginnings date back to the late 1970s when founder Bryan Bennett started his own specialist international household goods moving company – the first in North America to specialize exclusively in international household goods moving. 12 PERSPECTIVES Summer 2018